Paul and Lucy Spadoni periodically live in Tuscany to explore Paul’s Italian roots, practice their Italian and enjoy “la dolce vita.”
All work is copyrighted and may not be reprinted without written permission from the author, who can be contacted at www.paulspadoni.com

Monday, April 27, 2015

Is the Tuscan surname Spadoni tied to wealthy Spada family of Lucca?

Was
the first Spadoni actually from the family Spada? I first heard this
idea proposed when I received a document from Alberto Spadoni of
Ponte Buggianese in 2011. The document was prepared by an unnamed
Italian heraldry company that researches the history of one’s
family name for a fee. Alberto didn’t remember who gave his family
the document.

I
originally gave the document credence because it cited specific names
and titles of famous ancestors, and their dates of birth. Also, since
it was in Italian, that seemed to give it more authority. But I came
to have some doubts when I realized that the famous ancestors cited
were not of the family Spadoni but of the family Spada. The document
didn’t exactly lie, but it was deceptive in what it omitted. It
said that the surname Spadoni was a derivative of the Spada family,
and then it listed the first name of famous ancestors without giving
their surnames. It turns out that all the famous people listed had
Spada for a surname, and absolutely no evidence is given that the
Spadoni line is actually related to the Spada line. Maybe such
evidence does exist, but the document makes no mention of it.

I
came to believe that the research company made an assumption of
connection based on the linguistic similarity of the names, and that
the company just wanted to cash in on a client hoping to hear that
his family had once been noble and notable—which seems to be what
most people hope to discover. I even wrote an article about this that
was published on my blog and later in a genealogical magazine.

Recently,
however, I began to have some doubts about my doubts, if that makes any
sense. I found some indirect evidence that the Spadoni family
could indeed be a branch of the Spada family.

The first two
items of evidence are not very strong. First is the claim of the
heraldry agency, which is unconvincing, since it gives no sources or
explanations. Second is the geographic proximity of the two lines.
The Spada family has a long history in the province of Lucca,
according to the web site Casatospada.blog.tiscali.it, which cites
documents found in archives of the city dating back to 1010. A man
named Ildebrando or Brando had the nickname Spada, and he and his
sons Gerardo and Gottifredo possessed considerable property in
Picciorana, just outside the east walls of Lucca. They had more
property in Colognora, about 18 miles north of Lucca. The family went
on to become one of the most important in Lucca, with many civic
leaders, scholars, lawyers and high officials in the church.

This great photo to the Torre was taken
by Andrea Traversa. The tower has
since been restored.

It
is a third fact that I find most interesting. Just south of Lucca is
a tower, said to be built around 1500, that is known locally as the
Torre degli Spadoni. Significantly, though, it is located on Via
dello Spada, which likely is named for the Spada family. Which
family, then, built the tower, Spadoni or Spada? The Spada family,
wealthy, noble and highly placed in the government of Lucca, seems to
be the most likely choice. But it also seems plausible that the
member of the Spada family could have been nicknamed “Big Spada,”
either for his particular wealth and status, or for his physical
size. Spada means sword. Spadoni means big swords, so it could be
that one branch of the family changed its name prior to 1500. In
Gubbio, according to Casatospada, Bernardo Spada of the 1200s became
known as Spadalonga because of his unusual height, and his branch of
the family continued to be known by that name.

From Casatospada.blog.tiscali.it

Fairly
accurate records of the Spada family line exist between 1010 and the
mid-1300s. Casatospada notes, however, that many historical documents are
missing and presumed to be destroyed from the era that Pisa ruled
Lucca, 1342 to 1369. Sources also suggest that many families fled
Lucca during those years, which could be the reason that Spadoni
families are currently spread north of Lucca through the Garfagnana
valley and also east in the Valdinievole. It is possible that after
Lucca overthrew Pisan rule, the main branch of the Spadoni family
returned to Lucca and built the tower, while other branches remained
in the outlying areas.

Villa Spadoni, which unfortunately was destroyed in WW 2.

This
could also explain the origin of an important branch of the family
which settled in Reggio Emilia and built a large palazzo called
Villa Spadoni. Alessandro Bondi, an Italian genealogist and
descendant of this family, said that Spadonis have roots in Borzano
di Albinea and Viano from at least the end of the 1500s. At one time, they
owned as much as half of the land there, more than 860 acres. Bondi
said he has come across some evidence in his research indicating that
the family came to Emilia-Romagna from Tuscany, and only 100 miles
separate Lucca from Borzano.

I
am by no means convinced that the the Spadoni line from Lucca came
from the Spada family of Lucca, but I recognize that it is a theory
that should be considered. I wish I had more information about the
history of the Torre degli Spadoni, because that could provide more
evidence one way or the other. However, it is not easy to find
500-year-old documents, especially for someone who doesn’t live in
Italy or speak Italian fluently. However, I have been lucky in the
past, and maybe some day I will stumble upon the information.Another
way to show if there is a connection would be to compare DNA tests
between members of the Spadoni and Spada families. However, DNA
testing for genealogical purposes is still a relatively new concept,
and as far as I know, only two people with the name Spadoni have been
tested, and no one from the Spada family. In fact, we don’t even
have enough evidence to know if all the Spadoni families around Lucca
are connected. DNA testing is becoming more routine and less
expensive, and a day may come when it will be possible to determine
who is related to whom. Until then, well, it’s just fun to speculate the
possibilities.

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First off, before you hassle me about our title, Lucy thought of it. Yes, I know some people may think broad is derogatory, but the etymology is uncertain and she doesn’t find it offensive, and it made me laugh. We have been married since 1974 and are empty-nesters now, which allows me to bring my submerged Italophilia into the open. We first came to live in Italy from February-April in 2011 and have returned during the same months every year. From 2011-2015, we lived in San Salvatore, at the foot of the hilltop city Montecarlo, where my paternal grandparents were born, raised and, in 1908, married. In late 2015, we bought a home in Montecarlo. We come for a variety of purposes: We want to re-establish contact with distant cousins in both Nonno’s and Nonna’s families, we want to learn the language and see what it is like to live as Italians in modern Italy, we like to travel and experience different cultures. Even if we aren’t successful at achieving these purposes, we love Italy and enjoy every moment here, so there is no chance we will be disappointed. I am grateful to God for giving me a wife who is beautiful, clever, adaptable and willing to jump into my dreams wholeheartedly.